ASA Medical Student Component Governing Council

Officers for 2019-2020

To email an officer directly, simply click on the officer's name.

PresidentStacia Griebahn
School: St. George’s University School of Medicine

Stacia is a third-year medical student at St. George’s University School of Medicine. She recently began pursuing a Master of Science in Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Before attending medical school, Stacia traveled around the world to various countries, such as Italy and South Africa, to immerse herself in the field of anesthesiology. As President, Stacia is eager to foster projects catering to the MSC’s purpose “to increase student exposure to anesthesiology at medical schools across the nation.” She intends to execute this by creating more opportunities for hands-on clinical skills workshops at the ANESTHESIOLOGY Annual Meeting. Aside from her apparent dedication to anesthesiology, Stacia enjoys snowboarding and hiking with her dog, Ozzi.

President ElectAbigail Schirmer
School: Florida State University College of Medicine

Abigail is a second-year medical student at Florida State University College of Medicine. Prior to beginning medical school, she attained Microbiology and Nutritional Sciences degrees at the University of Florida, where her passion for the field of anesthesiology was initiated through patient safety research, mentorship, and exposure to the many essential roles of an anesthesiologist. Additionally, she was a FAER Medical Student Research Fellow at the University of Colorado in the Summer of 2019.

As President-elect of the ASA Medical Student Component, Abigail is excited to serve ASA’s mission of “securing the future”. Her goal is to create an initiative to promote diversity and inclusion amongst medical students hoping to enter the field of anesthesiology. Outside of medicine, Abigail enjoys swimming, hiking, and cheering on the Florida Gators!

Jennifer is a third-year student at CCOM and a Chicago native. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Lewis University in Biochemistry. Before attending medical school, Jennifer received a master’s from University of Florida in Forensic DNA and serology. She has 2 boys and spent time experiencing pediatric anesthesiology from the parent’s side.These experiences showed her that she was in the wrong field and decided to apply to medical school after receiving a second master’s in biomedical sciences. Her hobbies revolve around her children and their favorite activities. Jennifer is excited to help students with interest in anesthesiology be in touch with the field as early as possible.

Vy Le is currently a fourth-year medical student at the Oregon Health & Science University. She was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the States with her family when she was 12. Vy received her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Stanford University, and is passionate about integrating the humanities in her current and future medical training. As the first in her extended family to be in medicine, Vy began medical school knowing very little about the different medical fields. She was however fortunate to explore and fell in love with anesthesia through the guidance of mentors and helpful resources like those of ASA. Vy wants all her student colleagues to have that same opportunity. In her role as the delegate to the AMA, Vy will work to ensure that ASA and AMA resources are accessible not only to students already interested in anesthesia, but also those who are not so familiar with the specialty.

Akshay Shanker graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with bachelor degrees in Biochemistry and Writing. He then began medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he found anesthesia to be a perfect intersection of procedural expertise with medical / surgical decision making. He is currently taking a research year in cardiac anesthesia at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston.

Akshay truly cherishes the mentor-mentee relationship from both perspectives. As the Alternate Delegate to the AMA, he plans to advocate for all levels of student engagement—from first year students looking to learn more about the field to fourth year students in need of detailed residency guidance. Akshay hopes to use his experience in both community and academic programs to help students decide if anesthesiology is the right field for them and if so, support them along every step of the way. He can be reached via email for questions or comments at any time.

Senior AdvisorEve Pourzan
School: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Eve is a fourth-year medical student at Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Prior to pursuing medical school, she worked in the Michigan Legislature. In her third-year clerkships, Eve thankfully took an anesthesiology elective, where she fell in love with the specialty. As Senior Advisor on the ASA Medical Student Component, she wishes to continue providing resources for students interested in anesthesia.

Member At LargeFrey Gugsa
School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Frey is a rising 4th year medical student at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She received a B.A. in Molecular Biology from UC Berkeley and M.Sc. in Global Health from UCSF. As a first-generation, immigrant student, she deeply values mentors and mentorship programs. She has served as a tutor, mentor, and peer-advisor in multiple programs. She hopes to strengthen networking and mentoring programs between medical students and anesthesiology residents and be a support for all students. Her ultimate goal is to combine patient care with her passion for teaching, mentorship, and research so that she can care, inform, and empower her patients especially those who are underserved. She can be reached via email with any concern, question or suggestion.

AlternateBoris Anyama
School: St. George's University School of Medicine

Boris is a fourth-year medical student at St. George’s University School of Medicine. Raised in Houston, Texas, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on a football scholarship. Before attending medical school, Boris played in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons. Boris believes that if every medical student is informed about the field of Anesthesia, they would gain insight into the career and commit themselves early on in their medical training with an unquestionable sense of purpose and direction. He intends to build on the resources provided by ASA, to be a strong advocate for the organization, and a brother to any student with interest in Anesthesia. Outside of medicine, Boris enjoys spending time with friends and family.